Teacher Reunited With 9-Year-Old Who Helped Save Her
A teacher who suffered a stroke while in a day-care classroom got to thank the student who called 911 and helped save her. »
Friday, Oct. 27, 2006
Famed teacher entertains
Ron Clark was right at home Thursday with an after-school group at the Boys & Girls Club. The former teacher of the year danced and laughed with the students who, at first, seemed taken aback by the antics of this stranger in a suit and tie. »
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006
‘She’s the best teacher in the world!’
Emilia Bankston doesn’t like spending time away from her third-grade classroom, so she probably didn’t relish the idea of a schoolwide assembly early Tuesday afternoon. »
Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006
Teachers are the world’s unsung heroes
We know from experience the impact teachers can have on a child’s life. Our parents, both teachers, helped us with math and science, but also taught us about the importance of helping others and facing challenges in life if we want to succeed. They did the same for their students. »
Friday, Sep. 29, 2006
Teacher kept her riches secret, then left charity $4.3-million
During most of her long life, Roberta Langtry was an unassuming elementary school teacher in Toronto. »
Wednesday, Sep. 20, 2006
Best teacher award sums up her work
When Jackie Cooke’s students learn to divide, they start by drawing a half-sized “Mini-Me” to share their hairstyle and taste in clothes. When they discover angles in her West Gresham Grade School classes, they contemplate a daredevil skateboarder from the class spinning 180s and 360s. »
Tuesday, Sep. 19, 2006
Teacher touts blogs for learning
“In this part of my blog, I’m going to tell you how I use modern day technology in my daily life. Well, first off, I begin my day by waking up, thanks to my alarm clock.” »
She’s secretly a student
It takes a special principal to hush 2,000 teenagers in an echoey gymnasium — especially without being there. »
Friday, Sep. 15, 2006
Local teacher named a ‘hero’ for classroom efforts: Innovative classes equal funding
Anna Panchekha knew that her students had what it took to succeed. They just needed the right equipment to do it, thought Panchekha, a chemistry teacher at Montclair High School. »
Thursday, Sep. 14, 2006
Harford teacher gains national honor
Judy and Charlie Hunt arrived at Hickory Elementary School in Bel Air just before 10 a.m. yesterday and were whisked into the teachers lounge. »
Monday, Aug. 21, 2006
Temporary Job Becomes Life-Long Passion For Teacher
Teaching science was only supposed to be a temporary job for Deborah Drab. »
Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006
Enthusiasm for teaching rewarded
Granby Junior-Senior High School eighth-grade English teacher Joan Vohl Hamilton, who will start her 27th year of teaching this fall, has worked in seven different schools. »
Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006
Camp Hope: Life lessons in fun
Just because he caught three fish in a row didn’t mean Willie was going near any of them. »
Friday, Jul. 28, 2006
‘Teacher of Excellence’ brings subject to life
Even if the subject was merely combining numbers to come up with a total, Homer High School math instructor Francie Roberts would make it come alive for her students. So says her former student, Homer High School 10th-grader Clinton Edminster. »
Friday, Jul. 7, 2006
The best teacher in the world
“SIMPLY delighted” that was Mike Giles’ reaction when he was told he had won the Bolton Evening News Teacher of the Year Award. »
Wednesday, Jul. 5, 2006
Teacher of the Year challenges students and they love her for it
She always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Only, she pictured herself in a classroom full of third- and fourth-graders and even student taught at Cottonwood Elementary School. »
Tuesday, Jul. 4, 2006
Elementary generosity
A Vermilion Elementary School (V.E.S.) teacher has donated approximately $10,000 worth of classroom gadgets to her school.
Jean Watt, recipient of the 2006 SMARTer Kids foundation Innovative Use of Technology Award, has donated her prize to V.E.S. Watt, who just completed her last year at V.E.S, received the distinction in May.
“When I was up for the award, I had no idea that it included a prize,” said Watt, “None of us at the school realized that it was included with the award.”
The prize includes a SMART Board interactive whiteboard and floor stand, 25 copies of SMART Ideas concept-mapping software, Airliner wireless slate and Bridgit conferencing software, and an NEC portable projector.
The donation was announced at the June 21 BTPS board meeting and it marks Watt’s last move at the school as she retired from teaching on June 28.
“I’m ecstatic about the gift,” said VES Principal Trisha Rawlake, “This gift will further enable her to come in during her retirement, use the technology with the students and reach that many more kids.”
This is an incredible gift,” said Board Chair Brent Romanchuk, “This technology package will be a wonderful complement to the equipment already at V.E.S. She is certainly ending her career on a high note.”
Watt had no question in her mind as to where the prize would go, and was happy to be able to help out her school one last time.
“I’ve always tried to do what is best for the children, and I felt this technology was best serving the children at V.E.S.”
Monday, Jul. 3, 2006
The miracle teacher
Every commemoration of Helen Keller’s birthday (27 June, 1880) requires a complementary tribute to her tutor, miracle teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen’s spectacular success was due to Anne, whose own experience of temporary blindness made empathy easy for her. When Anne tutored the seven-year-old blind-deaf child, Helen, she learnt that Helen could neither hear nor see. Anne was firm and loving with Helen and succeeded in teaching her words. However Helen didn’t know what they meant. »
Thursday, Jun. 15, 2006
award for teacher who inspired Arctic Monkeys
A HISTORY teacher credited with inspiring the songwriting of Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys was yesterday honoured for his work.
Martin Staunton was judged the best teacher in a secondary school at the North of England Teaching Awards, held in Harrogate, after being described by his pupils as “a nutter in the nicest sense of the word”.
He taught three members of the band and his catchphrase “every silver lining has a cloud” is said to have inspired the tone of the songs which have made them famous.
In one of his history lessons at Stocksbridge High School, Sheffield, Mr Staunton brought in sound effects and rearranged the classroom furniture to give students an idea of life in the trenches during the First World War.
He said: “It would have been nice to get them outside digging a real trench but I don’t think it would have gone down well with the caretaker or the PE department.
“Once they have done something like that they have lived a very small part of it and from that they want to go on and learn more.
“I wouldn’t see myself as a ‘nutter’ but I am a bit different in the way I approach things. I like getting into roles and getting the students really involved in lessons. I suppose I am a bit eccentric.
“I think I am lucky because I’m really into history and I get to take my hobby into work.”
When teacher Felicity Hill wanted to bring Shakespeare alive for her pupils she persuaded her father-in-law to go into her class dressed as Britain’s most celebrated playwright.
Her reward for efforts like those was to be named the outstanding new teacher of the year at yesterday’s ceremony.
Ms Hill, a teacher at Boroughbridge High School, in North Yorkshire, was described by the judges as a “breath of fresh air” to the profession and a “real life teaching superhero”.
She invited her father-in-law, himself a retired teacher, into the classroom to help pupils understand Shakespeare’s life as a writer.
Ms Hill said: “He really got into the role. When someone’s mobile phone went off he was saying how it must be witchcraft.
“I don’t think you have to do things like that to keep their attention but it does help with their enthusiasm.”
Three years into her career, she said she was sure she had made the right decision.
“It is hard work there is no doubt about that but what you get out of it overrides all that. I have got particularly supportive colleagues at Boroughbridge and its a great working environment.
“I don’t think there is another job where from hour to hour I would be as challenged and as motivated as I am in teaching,” she said.
David Kirk found himself at the centre of a row when councillors in Calderdale decided to close Mixenden Primary School and send its pupils to nearby Ash Green Primary where he is headteacher.
Parents vehemently objected to the move but Mr Kirk has been credited with bringing the two schools together and was named primary school headteacher of the year.
He said: “I think awards like this are important to recognise the profession and the influence schools have on young people’s lives.”
All the winners from yesterday will go forward to be judged for the national teaching awards which will be decided in October.
Monday, Jun. 12, 2006
‘Less is more’ works for D.C. mom
Michele Humble traces her decision to home-school to watching a TV newsmagazine about a woman who home-schooled her six children while running a family store. The children completed college before most students finished high school.
“That’s what I would like to do,” Mrs. Humble remembers thinking, “and that was before I had any child of my own. I always wanted to be a teacher, and I felt that I’d be the best teacher of my children because I would know their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else.”
Today, Mrs. Humble and her husband, Carmichael, are parents to four girls, ages 10, 8, 6 and 2 weeks. While their dad goes to work every day for the D.C. government, the three oldest girls study at home with mom using the Robinson curriculum, Saxon math and a number of other resources. Mrs. Humble has home-schooled the children since her oldest was 5, and she hopes to do so until they graduate from high school.
“Some people say to me, ‘Are you going to do this until they’re grown?’?” Mrs. Humble says. “I tell them that is my plan right now. I enjoy that I’m the one teaching my child. It’s the desire of my heart.”
The Humble family is part of a home-schooling cooperative, the Christian Home Educators of D.C. Together with 15 to 20 other home-schooling families, they go on field trips, do special study segments on topics such as the rain forests or the Civil War and celebrate the students’ accomplishments with a closing ceremony and potluck dinner.
Although the family enjoys trips to the Smithsonian museums, the library and other places where they can learn about interesting topics, Mrs. Humble’s rule is, “No stress, no strain, no struggle.”
“I’m a great believer in ‘less is more,’?” she says. “If I’m getting too stressed out and frazzled, it’s not good for the kids. Kids are like sponges. I have to have peace, so if something is too stressful, we don’t do it.”
The three older girls take ballet classes each week, and each one is learning piano or violin.
“This is the time of all the recitals,” their mother says. “I’ll be happy when they’re over and we have more time.”
Balancing the demands of motherhood and education isn’t easy, but Mrs. Humble says she draws her strength from her faith and the impact she sees on her family.
“Every day, I think, ‘God, please give me the wisdom to do this,’?” she says.
“I enjoy seeing my child ‘get’ something, really understand something. For Black History Month, I teach about a different historical figure each day, and I was telling my oldest daughter about Frederick Douglass and the Underground Railroad,” Mrs. Humble says. “Her younger sister was just lying on her back, feet up in the air, and seemingly not paying attention. But when I asked the question ‘Who else was helping with the Underground Railroad?’ and my oldest daughter didn’t respond, the younger one said, ‘Harriet Tubman.’ That really makes me happy.”
Mrs. Humble treats a trip to the doctor’s office or on the public bus as a “teachable moment.” People remark on the children’s calm and polite deportment and their ability to focus.
“I used to get really offended at comments people made that I was being selfish or overprotective, but now I realize that it’s my job to protect them. If we’re on a bus on Georgia Avenue, they’re being exposed to all kinds of things. It’s my job to instill in them the right values,” she says.
To parents afraid that they aren’t experts in every subject, she advises, “You are more qualified than any teacher, and you can do a better job with your children than anyone else. People get lost in the shuffle. Children do act out. But the teachers are not able to espouse the same values we teach in the home.”
Friday, Jun. 9, 2006
Thank teachers
The end of the school year means final exam time. So, parents, take out a No. 2 pencil and circle the correct answer: »
Tuesday, Jun. 6, 2006
Teacher Lynne’s American dream
AN East Lancashire teacher is helping tell the world about life in the region. »
Friday, Jun. 2, 2006
Teacher’s award is ‘thank you’ from former pupil
Lindsey Clark wanted to be an engineer when she started taking AP Calculus with Susan Dockery at Fort Mill High School. »
Saturday, May. 20, 2006
Keokuk teacher puts her stamp on the classroom
When it comes to excellence in teaching, Diane Berner delivers. »
Wednesday, May. 17, 2006
Maths teacher ‘an inspiration’
An “inspirational” Chorley teacher has reached the North West finals of The Teaching Awards. »
Monday, May. 15, 2006
School superintendent to climb Everest for charity
His weathered face is etched with deep furrows, as one who carries many burdens. He has lasted a contentious decade, after all, as schools superintendent in Cabarrus County. »
Saturday, Apr. 22, 2006
Jackson Teacher Receives National Honor
With so much attention on test scores, it’s refreshing to see a teacher get recognized for her hard work in getting students to enjoy the learning process. At Pecan Park Elementary in Jackson, one educator just received another award for a job well done. »
Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2006
Teacher raps class into young minds
Dressed in a white shirt with a neatly knotted dark tie and a pen in his pocket, I.C. Norcom High School science teacher Daron Moore appears rather scholarly, almost nerdy. »
Thursday, Apr. 6, 2006
Award from student touches teacher
Meredith Schroeder, a teacher at Reiley Elementary School, is used to receiving a piece of pipe cleaner art or a hug as thanks from her students. But what one of her students did caused her to let loose tears of joy during a surprise ceremony. »
Monday, Mar. 27, 2006
Teacher, her students published influential newspaper
Eulalia “Sister” Bourne was a southern Arizona homesteader, cattle rancher, author, and teacher best-known for her innovative ideas about education and a mimeographed school newspaper called Little Cowpuncher. »